Skyhawks Fall To Bradley In Back And Forth Battle

Saturday, February 28

Martin, Tenn.

3 p.m.

UT Martin

4-6

Bradley

2-7

Bradley

UT Martin

Skyhawks Fall To Bradley In Back And Forth Battle

2/28/2026 9:37:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Stats PDF

MARTIN, Tenn.- The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team posted 15 hits in Saturday's contest against Bradley, but it wasn't enough as the Braves evened up the series with a 13-9 win.

TJ Dunsford (home run, double, two RBIs) led the Skyhawks with three hits while Bo Strikland (double, stolen base) paced UT Martin (4-6) in RBIs (three, career-high). Garner Anderson (stolen base, run scored), JT Popick (two runs scored), Cullen Box and Eli Huebner (run scored) each tallied two base knocks. Colten Payton (two RBIs), Andrew Davis (run scored, walk) and TJ Grines (two runs scored, walk) also aided the Skyhawks in scoring nine runs (fourth time scoring nine or more runs in a game this season).

Will Turner (four innings, four strikeouts) earned his first start of the year while Brandon King (two innings), Jake DeValk (0.2 innings), JP Nunn (1.1 innings, no hits allowed, two strikeouts) and Drake Bayles (one strikeout) pitched out of the bullpen.

Turner left a runner stranded in scoring position after the first and UT Martin scored the game's first run in the home half when Payton plated Grines. Bradley claimed the lead in the second, but the Skyhawks responded with a Strikland single to left center that helped Huebner score from second base.

Turner made quick work of the Braves in the top of the third on three flyouts. Dunsford powered a ball over the fence in right field that leveled the score at three in the bottom part of the frame. Both teams went back and forth at the plate and after a Payton RBI single and Dunsford RBI single, UT Martin trailed by just one headed to the fifth.

King spun a scoreless fifth and the Skyhawks took advantage on a game-tying two-out RBI double where Strikland faced 10 pitches in the at-bat and won the battle. Bradley had a counterattack and upped its advantage across the next two innings. UT Martin drove in two runs in the seventh and then dropped its deficit to just two in the bottom of the eighth. However, the Braves were able to hold on to their lead through the bottom of the ninth.

The series finale is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow.